Early on in Strut's existence, we created the Music for Dancefloors series in order to mine the fertile territory of production library music for under appreciated (and often extremely hard to find) gems. Originally recorded as a source of go-to material for use in film, television and radio, library music wasn’t intended to be enjoyed in a home listening context, and often wasn’t available for commercial release at all. However, due to the quality of the musicianship and the stripped-down arrangements, music from the best libraries has become extremely sought-after by DJs and producers.

The UK's KPM library (especially its green "1000 series" of the 60s and 70s) is easily one of the most legendary sources of library funk. KPM music has been sampled by the likes of Jay-Z, DOOM, Madlib and Guilty Simpson, Dangermouse, Action Bronson, and even turns up in the opening of Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill (via the Grindhouse promo spot which uses Kieth Mansfield’s “Funky Fanfare”).

Out of print for years, our Music For Dancefloors release collects some of the best of KPM's catalog, with an ear not just for loops and breaks, but quality compositions and performances that stand the test of time. We've included key cuts like Alan Parker’s ”That’s What Friends Are For” featuring Blue Mink’s Madeline Bell on vocals, Alan Hawkshaw’s “Senior Thump” (a precursor to his work as The Mohawks), and Keith Mansfield’s “Crash Course,” each one a classic in its own right.

This new edition features an exclusive bonus disc, which makes available for the first time the debut gig by the KPM All-Stars, bringing together many of KPM’s greatest composers for a unique night at London’s Jazz Cafe on 27th April 2000.

Music For Dancefloors: The KPM Music Library (Deluxe version) is released on April 2nd in three formats: 2CD (original studio recordings and live concert), 2LP featuring the original studio recordings and 2CD insert of the full CD content, and digital (original studio recordings and live concert). The album features the original sleeve notes by Charles Waring (Mojo magazine) alongside extra photos and memorabilia.

CD 1 – KPM LIBRARY CLASSICS

1. That’s What Friends Are For - Composed by Alan Parker. Vocals by Madeline Bell
2. Unlimited Love - Composed by Alan Parker
3. Funky Express - Composed by Duncan Lamont
4. Assault Course - Composed by Johnny Pearson
5. Samba Street - Composed by Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper
6. Second Cut - Composed by James Clarke
7. Swamp Fever - Composed by John Cameron
8. Reggae Train - Composed by William Farley and Dennis Bovell
9. Incidental Backcloth No. 9 - Composed by Keith Mansfield
10. Cross Talk - Composed by Francis Coppieters
11. In Advance - Composed by P. Xanten. Performed by Pierre Lavin Pop Band
12. Senior Thump - Composed by Alan Hawkshaw
13. Expo In Tokyo - Composed by Alan Moorhouse
14. Nascimbene - Interlude: Witchdoctor
15. Jungle Baby - Composed by H. Ehrlinger. Performed by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band
16. Morning 1 / Morning 2 - Composed by Klaus Weiss
17. Freeway To Rio - Composed by Les Baxter
18. Brazil Express - Composed by G. Callert. Performed by Juan Erlando & His Latin Band
19. Piano In Transit - Composed by Francis Coppieters
20. Crash Course - Composed by Keith Mansfield

CD 2 - KPM ALL-STARS LIVE AT JAZZ CAFÉ, LONDON. 27th April 2000

1. Keith Mansfield with KPM All Stars – Soul Thing
2. Alan Hawkshaw & Keith Mansfield with KPM All Stars – Theme from ‘Dave Allen At Large’
3. Alan Hawkshaw & Keith Mansfield with KPM All Stars – Beat Boutique
4. KPM All Stars – Swamp Fever
5. KPM All Stars – Unlimited Love
6. KPM All Stars feat. Emma Kershaw – That’s What Friends Are For
7. James Clarke with Steve Grey and KPM All Stars – Second Cut
8. Duncan Lamont with KPM All Stars – Funky Express
9. Alan Hawkshaw with KPM All Stars – Girl In A Sportscar
10. Alan Hawkshaw with KPM All Stars – Senior Thump
11. Alan Hawkshaw with KPM All Stars - Landscape
12. Alan Hawkshaw with Kirsty Hawkshaw and KPM All Stars – The Champ
13. Keith Mansfield with KPM All Stars – Crash Course
14. Keith Mansfield with KPM All Stars – UK Sports Theme Medley: Theme from ‘The Big Match’ / Theme from BBC Wimbledon Tennis / Theme from BBC Athletics / Theme from ‘Grandstand’

The dance floor has always served, at least in part, as an ideal location for a potential romantic conquest. On the classic yet somewhat overlook track "Chit Chat," Cajmere goes slightly meta, showcasing his pick-up skills over classic house beat which likely provided the background to a number of real life conversations along the same lines. The Chicago producer (born Curtis Jones) recalls, "Chit Chat always makes me think of Tony Humphries because he showed that song so much love. It’s really because of him that the song became as popular as it did.” The track, along with two discs full of equally essential productions from the Cajual Records catalog, appears on Only 4 U: The Sound Of Cajmere And Cajual Records 1992 - 2012, out October 30th.

Shark Vegas was a Berlin-based outfit, lead by Factory Records' German representative, Mark Reeder. Despite an excellent pedigree, including Bernard Sumner on the boards and the infamous Connie Plank recording, the group's music remains an overlooked entry in Factory's vast catalog, and performance footage of the group is extremely scarce. You can imagine our surprise then when we turned up this recording of a performance of the track "You Hurt Me," which also happens to appear on Fac. Dance 02, in a dig through the !K7 video archives. Call it synchronicity. From the lighting to the video quality to the instruments on stage, every element is perfectly evocative of the era. Fac. Dance 02 is out now.

Having explored some of the amazing house music coming out of the UK in the mid-80s on This Ain't Chicago it's a pleasure to come back to the city that originated the house music style, and to some of it's most notable practitioners. Only 4 U (out October 30th on double CD, double LP & digital download) collects two decades of music on Chicago's Cajual Records, including indisputable classics such as label founder (later to be known as Green Velvet) Cajmere's "Percolator" & "Brighter Days," all the up to fantastic music the label is still releasing today. The collection brings together the many shades of Cajual for the first time in a definitive label overview presented with rare photos from the Cajual Records archive and liner notes by Bill Brewster of DJ History.


CD 1


1. CAJMERE - PERCOLATOR (Remastered Original mix) 4.44
2. CAJMERE - CONFLICT 7.17
3. CAJMERE - CHIT CHAT (Clubhouse remix) 4.33
4. CAJMERE feat. DAJAE - BRIGHTER DAYS (Louie’s Masters At Work mix) 10.41
5. CAJMERE feat. DERRICK CARTER - DREAM STATES 7.06
6. CAJMERE feat. TERENCE FM - FEELIN’ KINDA HIGH (Vocal mix) 5.21
7. DAJAE – GET UP OFF ME (Cajmere’s mix) 5.39
8. GEMINI – IF YOU GOT TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING 5.26
9. DAJAE - DAY BY DAY (Chez ‘N’ Trent vocal mix) 6.04
10. CAJMERE - HOUSE-WERK (Original mix) 7.54
11. CAJMERE feat. WALTER PHILIPS – MIDNIGHT (Original mix) 4.44
12. DAJAE – U GOT ME UP (Danny Tenaglia’s Club version) 8.05


CD 2


1. GLENN UNDERGROUND – BEYOND 10.00 – UK jazz dude
2. GEMINI – LE FUSION 6.17
3. JOHNNY FIASCO – TAURUS 6.49
4. BRAXTON HOLMES presents JOHN REDMAN – PEOPLE EVERYDAY (12” mix Basement Boys Style) 10.32
5. ADAM – MOMENTS IN TIME 8.00
6. G.U. – THE WHEEL 7.31
7. DEEP SENSATION – GET TOGETHER (Deep Vocal mix) 6.41
8. ANDRE HARRIS – I CAN’T TAKE IT (Andre’s Original) 10.45
9. CAJMERE - SAY U WILL (Original mix) 5.29
10. GREEN VELVET presents JAMIE PRINCIPAL – LALALALALA (NSIDE MY MIND) 7.45
11. CAJMERE & RUSSOUL – LET’S DANCE 7.11

Tom Moulton is a dance music legend and pioneer in the same realm as Walter Gibbons, whose work we explored on our Jungle Music collection a couple of years ago. When we found out that we had the opportunity to release for the first time on vinyl a rare Moulton edit of Bang The Party's "Bang Bang You're Mine" (which appears on Richard Sen's This Ain't Chicago collection), you can imagine our excitement. This is lovely slice of dance floor bliss, and a great example of the cross-polination of the nascent UK House scene with the American producers who helped inspire it. This version will be released on limited vinyl 12" and digital single on July 23rd, along with May's "Love Me Baby" and a new Richard Sen edit of K.C.C.'s "Future III."

Bang The Party - Bang Bang You're Mine (Tom Moulton Edit) by Strut